Vatican City: Pope Benedict on Sunday expressed grief over the killing of an Iraqi priest in Baghdad.

Adel Yousif of the Syrian Orthodox Church was killed during a drive-by shooting near his home in Baghdad’s Karrada district on Saturday.

In a telegram, the Vatican said that the pope “prays that all people will follow the ways of peace in order to build a just and tolerant society in the beloved land of Iraq."

The latest incident follows last month's kidnapping of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, who was later found dead.